The Iranian Revolution Will Not Be Televised -- It'll Be Twittered

As protests of Friday's Iranian election and the victory proclamation by incumbent President Ahmadinejad rolls on for another day, one thing has become abundantly clear: tomorrow's newspaper is too late. Now that press have been all but escorted out of Iran, the world's news is coming minute-by-minute from the little micro-blogging (some say ego-stroking) site that could: Twitter.

Founded in 2006, Twitter now boasts millions of users, and according to Nielsen grew 1382 percent in the month of February alone. Previously written off as a tool for inane thoughts (my leg itches, what should I have for dinner, etc.), Twitter has emerged from its adolescence as an outlet for instantly sharing information with thousands (millions, countless numbers) of people.

Under the hashtag #iranelection, Twitter users have been both giving updates about the events unfolding in the Middle East (see a partial list of people tweeting from Iran) and people discussing the election and protests. The conditions in Tehran are worsening, and Twitter is literally the only way to consistently release information.

Twitter has become so crucial in current events that when scheduled maintenance to the site was supposed to happen Monday night, someone at the U.S. State Department called Twitter to ask that they reschedule it and not cut off one of the only channels of communication out of the country, especially after other Web sites, newspapers and phone service had been hacked or shut down.

People are using Twitter not only to update others about times and places for protests (tomorrow there will be a pro-Moussavi protest in Haft Teer Square at 4 p.m., protesters will bring flowers to give to the Basij) or to give information about the things they are seeing, but also to check in on one another. Iranian Twitter user persiankiwi has sent hundreds of messages from secret locations for days straight as well as updates before going to bed or going offline so that people don't worry that he or she is injured or dead when the stream of messages stops. ABC correspondent Jim Sciutto is in Iran and sent a message this morning that he was "up & all safe" after someone worried that he hadn't updated in a few hours.

Since Twitter is the only first-hand reporting we're going to see out of Iran for a while, it's a good idea to be familiar with some guidelines for digesting news over Twitter. The news is short-term, but it's already becoming clear that the implications of this revolution (both Iranian and Twitter) will be long-lasting. Will the next war be the first where reporting via text messaging becomes the norm?

"The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" first popped up in the 1970s, but surely, at least for now, the revolution will be Twittered.

See more of Air America's Iran election coverage.

This post originally appeared at Air America Media.

Follow Kase Wickman on Twitter: www.twitter.com/kaseyawesome

Comments

[Andy Ostroy - Huffpost Blogger]

Jeez, the self-importance of Twitter and it's loyal Twits is astounding. Do you really think the throngs of Iranian protestors would not know where to go without directions on Twitter? You think that the incredible miles-long mass of revolutionaries got there because of Twitter? I am utterly incredulous as to the credit being taken by Twits regarding their self-proclaimed role in this opposition rebellion.
Also, it's both arrogant and preposterous to claim that without Twitter people around the world would be lost in a news vacuum, unaware of what's going on there. I watch CNN, MSNBC and read the NY Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, HuffPo etc...both print, and online....and feel like I'm pretty darned up to speed as a result. I don't need to know what's going on every 3 minutes. Nor do I need an incessant stream of photos of protestors every three blocks . I get it. What I don't get is the claim by Twitter and its users that they somehow are partly responsible for this incredibly emotional, inspiring and historic series of events transpiring in Iran. I've been writing for months about the mind-numbing narcissism demonstrated by those who post non-stop on Twitter and Facebook. Well, their self-agrandizing role in the Iranian election upheaval is the ultimate display of this narcissim. Message to Twits: this revolution ain't about YOU!

[Huffyfan]

Some of the twitterers are not even Iranian and do not understand Parsi , i wont be surprised if they were Israelis trying to fill the Blog sphere with Propaganda against iran , that they are trying to distabilize so badly .

[magen]

More reasons why the MSM is an antique.

[amygdalalama]

Not for the faint of heart, but this needs to be gotten out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OIrX6UiXReE

[E-Advocate Network]

Please actually read the blog post you linked to and remove the Iranian Twitter usernames and links to them. What they are doing can get them killed and it is highly valuable. I thank you for covering the huge role that social media has played, but the their safety in a political situation is far more important than your article. Yes, Twitter has been vital, along with other social media. Thank you for the nod.

[Ari Melber - Huffpost Blogger]

Hey if you're going to post something like this on June 16 -- "'The Revolution Will Not Be Televised' first popped up in the 1970s, but surely, at least for now, the revolution will be Twittered" -- then you should research and credit others who recently made the exact same point. With the same language. Like:

Andrew Sullivan on June 13, The Revolution Will Be Twittered
http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2009/06/the-revolution-will-be-twittered-1.html

or Tom Watson on June 14, The Revolution Will Not Be Twittered
http://tomwatson.soup.io/post/21357572/The-Revolution-Will-Not-Be-Twittered

or Monkey Cage blog on June 15, What If We Twittered the Revolution and Nobody Came?
http://www.themonkeycage.org/2009/06/what_if_we_twittered_the_revol.html

or Marc Ambinder on June 15 The Revolution Will Be Twittered
http://politics.theatlantic.com/2009/06/its_too_easy_to_call.php

Otherwise, interesting post.

[Indra]

At least Twitter is good for something.

[mergina]

Twitter is like being in an information thrift store.

[Barticus]

The Iranian Revolution Will Not Be Televised -- It'll Be Twittered

What are you doing?